Rhode Island’s Jobless Rate Dips to 8.3%

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate dipped slightly from last month, according to the latest numbers out of the Department of Labor and Training. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April came in at 8.3 percent. That’s down from March’s 8.7 percent and the lowest unemployment rate the state has seen since August of 2008.

The construction sector saw the biggest gains, with healthcare and retail also adding jobs. Meanwhile the professional and business service sector lost 800 jobs, and the crummy winter weather hurt the food and lodging sector.

Rhode Island’s 8.3 percent unemployment rate is still higher than the national rate of 6.3 percent.

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